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In 1903, problems began to arise within the Spillville
parish due to a negative article written about Father Josef
Dostal by a Chicago-based publication. Up to this point,
Father Dostal had served the community well.Josef Dostal was born on March 11, 1870 in Borsice. He studied at the Bohemian High School and Gymnasium in Perov and studied theology in Olmutz. Joseph was ordained into the priesthood on July 5, 1895. He was a chaplain for one year in the German-Moravian parish of Oberheinzendorf. After arriving in America, he held charges at the Sacred Heart church in Oxford Junction and Prarieburg from 1896-1898. During this time, he was said to have roamed the prairies on horseback, preaching to the new immigrants. In September of 1898, he assumed the guidance of the St. Wenceslaus parish. In 1900, Father Dostal helped organize the creation of an Associated Bohemian Catholic Society hall. The hall was a remodeled brewery. Spillville played host to the Catholic Workman Lodge's convention that was held on January 15, 1901. On the appointed day, the delegates were received and entertained in the new Catholic Society hall. During Father Dostal's time, the entire parish property was enclosed with a new fence, the cemetery was attractively re-arranged and Norwegian spruce trees were planted on every side. In addition, Father Dostal travelled while serving as Pastor. Pictures of him in Cedar Rapids in 1902 and Karlin, Missouri, have been discovered. On account of differences that arose in the parish, Father Dostal agreed to exchange positions with the Rev. Father Peter Kloss of St. Joseph's church in Chelsea, Iowa, located about 100 miles south of Spillville. Joseph Dostal would leave Spillville for the last time on July 1, 1903.  
On July 4th, Joseph was installed as the new pastor
of St. Joseph's church. Three days later, on July
7th, only six days after leaving Spillville, Father Dostal
and his brother Methodius headed toward the banks of the
Iowa river for an evening bath. But while bathing around
7:00 p.m., something began to go terribly wrong. Joseph
either developed a cramp or was caught in a strong
undercurrent. The young preacher struggled for his life
but succumbed to the persistence of the flowing water. His
body slipped into the darkness of the Iowa river. It
was recovered at 8:30 p.m., a quarter of a mile down river
from where he drowned.
News of Father Dostal's death quickly reached Spillville and
the surrounding towns of Calmar and Decorah. On July 10, 1903, the Calmar Courie
ran his obituary. On July 14, 1904, the Decorah Journal also printed an
obituary. In the obituary it states that "In company with
his brother, Rev. Dostal went to the Iowa river about a mile
south of town to go bathing."The brother was Methodius. Methodius was a seminary student living in New Hampton, Iowa. He had just completed his Philosophy studies. It's possible that Methodius was unable to swim and watched helplessly from the river bank as his brother drowned. He subsequently was unable to cope with the tragedy and was admitted to a sanitarium in Independence, Iowa. Father Josef Dostal is buried on a bluff, overlooking the quiet town of Chelsea. The small cemetery is surrounded by farmland. Cattle can often be seen grazing in the distance. Josef was a man who tried to make life more bareable for his fellow immigrants. His is a tale of good deeds, and terrible misfortune. |